Leon hiesch



(No Model.) L. HIRSGH.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 353,029. Patented Nov. 23, 1886.

N. PETERS. Fhotuiilhogmpher, Wasl inglnn. n. c..

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE- LEON HIRSCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,029, dated November23, 1886.

Application filed June 7, 1886. Serial No. 204,319. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON HIRSOH, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes,of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved fire-escapewhich is out of view when not in use, and which can be lowered for useat any time from any roomat the wall above which the fire-escape isprovided.

The invention consists in a shaft journaled in bearings on standards onthe roof of the house, parallel with one of the street or yard walls, aseries of flexible ladders secured to and wound on the said shaft, aratchet-wheel onthe shaft, a locking-pawl on a rock-shaft connected withvertical rods extending through the different stories,a brake-wheel onthe main shaft, a brake-lever for holding the brake at the same timethat the lockingpawl is released from the ratchet-wheel, all as will befully described hereinafter, and set forth in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front view of a buildingprovided with my improved fire-escape, the ladders being lowered. Fig. 2is a cross-sectional view of the same. .Fig. 3 is an enlargedlongitudinal sectional view of the shaft to which the flexible laddersare secured. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional'view of the same, showing theratchetwheel and locking'pawl.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the same, showing the brake locked.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

On the standards A A, secured on the roof of the house behind thecornice, and parallel with the rear or front wal1,the shaft B isjournaled, to which the upper ends of a series of flexible ladders, O O,are fastened, preferably one ladder for each vertical row of windows. Atthe sides of the upper ends of the ladders disks D D are fastened on theshaft B, or in place of said disks drums having end pieces may befastened on .the shaft and the ladders secured to-said drums. Theladdersare passed over an anti-friction shaft or roller, E, provided on thefront directly below the cornice, for the Fig.5 shows a crosssectionalview of the brake disengaged and one or more arms, L, connected with thevertical rods M, extending downward in suitable grooves or recesses,preferably in the janibs of the windows. from which rods M knobs Nproject into the window-openings,as shown in Figsl and 2. Ifdesired,said knobs may project from the inner side of the wall; butIprefer to provide the knobs in the jambs of the windows.

A spring, 0, fastened on the roof of the house acts on a fixed arm, P,of the rock-shaft K, thereby keeping the pawl J engaged with theratchet-wheel H. At one end of the shaft B a brake-disk,Q,is fixed,0nthe rim of which the brake-lever R rests, which is fastened to aspringaim, S. The lower end of the brakelever is provided with aprojection, a,on which the arm T of the shaft K can act. B is providedwith a crank-arm or detachable key on one end for turning it.

The operation is as follows: When the fireescape is not in use, all theladders O G are wound on the shaftB, the weights F being below the shaftE. In case of a fire or any other accident requiring the use of theladders to permit the persons to escape, the knob "Natany one of thewindows is pulled downward, whereby one of the arms L is drawn down andthe pawl J is disengaged from the ratchetwheel H. The weights andladders now descend and revolve the shaft B, as the pawl J does not lockthe ratchet-wheel H. The brake R is to prevent the ladders fromunwinding too rapidly, and when the ladders unwind the brake must beapplied to prevent the ladders from descending too rapidly. When thepawl J is swung from the ratchet-wheel H, the arm T is also swung down,th.us permitting the spring-arm S to press the brake-lever R on the Theshaft rim of the brake-disk Q, as shown in Fig. 6, thus checking thespeed. When the ladders are wound on the shaft B and the pawl J isengaged with the ratchet-wheel H, the arm T is held raised by the actionof the arm T on the projection a, so as not to interfere with theuncoiling of the flexible ladders in the beginning of the descent. Thecornice has suitable openings through which the rope ladders can pass.

Having thus described my invention,l claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent The combination, with a shaft journaled in standardson the roof of the house, of flexible ladders secured to the shaft, aratchet-wheel on the shaft, a rocking shaft below the one to which theladders are fastened, a pawl on the rocking shaft, which pawl engageswith the ratchet-wheel on theshaf t to which the ladders my invention Ihave signed my name in pres- 3o ence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEON HIRSCH.

lVitnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, MARTIN PETRY.

